Chocolate Ganache Topped Crunchifed Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

Oh, what a week it has been!

Our poor pup starting throwing up on Monday night and has been sick since. We had hoped his stomach issues would clear up on their own but no luck. As Price was hand feeding him rice on Wednesday night we decided he would go to the vet as soon as the opened on Thursday morning. So Kemper spent the day at the vet getting tests run to figure out what was wrong with him. Thankfully, he tested negative for giardia but he definitely has a stomach bug.

I’m hoping that his pill, powder for his food, and his prescription food help him feel better quickly. Especially since I stepped in some poo this morning before I put the lights on. It’s not like him to have accidents so I know he is sick so I can’t get mad but man, what a way to start a Friday morning.

But it’s Friday, so that means it’s time for pie!!!

I had been thinking of making a pie with a pretzel crust for a bit now. I’ve done the graham cracker crust. And the chocolate cookie crust. So I wanted to try something different and I just love the sweet and salty combo of things.

I highly recommend pulling out your food processor to make this crust. I’m sure that you can crunch up the pretzels in the ziplock bag using a rolling pin but I just don’t think you’ll get the pieces small enough for the crust to hold together well.

The peanut butter filling is really light and crunchy. Using crunchy peanut butter adds a little extra crunch to the pie. If you don’t have crunchy peanut butter on hand then just use creamy. Don’t hold off on making this pie just for that.

But the chocolate ganache that tops off the pie is the finishing touch! It’s silky, rich, and chocolately. And then jazzed up some more with the chopped up peanuts and pretzels that are sprinkled on top.

Plan ahead when making this pie. This is not a last minute project as it needs to chill for a few hours. I suggest making it the morning that you want to serve it. Or even the night before so it sets up really well.

Thankfully, I am kicking it out of my house before I eat it all. Five slices will be on their merry way out the door today when our dog walker comes for Kemper today. She is the best but her flexibility this month has been incredible. There have been so many last minute changes from the typical M-Th schedule with extra vet appointments for Kemper to have a cracked molar extracted, to days I’ve worked from home because of appointments for Autumn, and now this latest adventure. I just hope they enjoy it for dessert tonight as much as we did! 🙂

Chocolate Ganache Topped Crunchifed Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

Makes a 9″ Pie

Ingredients

Crust

7 ounces/200 grams of pretzels

1/4 cup brown sugar

10 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces cream cheese

1 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache Topping

1 cup of heavy cream

8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate

Garnish

1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup pretzels, chopped up intosmall pieces

Process

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Put the pretzels in a food processor and process until the pretzels are crushed enough to resemble crumbs.

Combine the ingredients, and press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides a lightly greased 9″ pie pan.

Freeze the crust for 15 minutes (which will prevent over-browning).

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until it’s lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

To make the whipped cream for the filling, whip the heavy cream until there are stiff peaks. Set aside.

To make the filling base, beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes, scrape the bowl every minute. Add the confectioner’s sugar and beat for another minute, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract, beat for another 2 minutes.

Completely fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.

Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Smooth out the top and then put the pie into the freezer.

Prepare the ganache but setting a heat safe bowl over a pot with some water in it. Do not allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat the water to a simmer and add the heavy cream. Heat the cream until it is warm and add the chocolate. Mix the chocolate until all of it is melted into the heavy cream. Remove the bowl from the top of the pot and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Mix the ganache one more time and then pour it on top of the chilled filling. Tap the pan to even out the top and to remove any bubbles in the ganache.

Sprinkle the top of the ganache with the chopped peanuts and pretzels.

Return to the freezer for at least 4 hours. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes prior to serving. Slice and enjoy!